Got My First Permission To Dig a Privy

[Rockhounder55]

So, I got my first permission to dig a privy. [] I should be really excited, but here's my dilemma. The privy is under the house. [] Huh, you say? This particular house was moved to it's present location sometime in the 1950's. The lot where it was moved to once had a house on it that shows on the 1880's Sanborn maps. When we measured out the privy location, it appears to be under the house that's presently there. There's a crawl space where we can get to it, and the owner has said that we can have at it, but is it worth it? What if it's a pontilled pit? [8|] I don't have a problem with the spiders and such, but how does one probe while lying on their stomach, not to mention digging while on your stomach? If we were actually able to locate the privy location, maybe I can talk the owner into letting us build a trap door in the floor. It's under a laundry room like room in the house. What do you all think? Is it possible, and/or worth the trouble? [] ~Mike

 

[Jim]

It would be tough, but it could be done. The bad thing about privies is that you never know if it's worth the effort until you dig it out. If it's a good pit, sweet, but if it's empty or full of junk, the disappointment/aggravation factor would be pretty high with all of the extra work. I would probably give it a shot if I had no other pits of easier access lined up. Good luck, Mike! ~Jim

 

[westernglassaddict]

I have dug some privys under buildings with tiny crawl spaces by utilizing a plastic tiboggin ( not sure if I spelled that correctly). We used it to put dirt on and pulled it out of the crawl space with a rope...dumped the dirt, and continued until you can get in the hole and dig the pit using this process until the hole is completed. Then, just reverse the process to fill in. It has worked very well.

 

[andy volkerts]

[] Yeah that does work, we did a house in sacto that was added onto, right over a privy. I would still probe out the yard if any behind and on the sides of where that old house was if there is still any yard left...

 

[RICKJJ59W]

There is always a time when you have to do something off the wall in privy digging. I never dug under a moved house,but I did dig from one pit into another through solid ground.
I would say in your case,go for it if you can get to it.Where there's a will there's a way.

Mine Shaft privy
http://youtu.be/SkqOl0qUKQo

 

[lexdigger]

Are you sure the map is showing the privy? From my experiences what you see on the sanborn is rarely the privy. Usually they are along the back or side property line. How old is the sanborn map? There is a chance that even if it is showing a pit, there could be others. I've dug anywhere from one to seven pits in the same yard. I would start out by probing the yard first and only dig the crawl as a last resort. Most people will let you make multiple visits if you honor your part of the deal. Start in the back corner and work your way across the back of the yard.

 

[CALDIGR2]

For us out here in sunny CA tunnel, or as Rick calls it "mine shaft" digging is relatively commonplace. Often time we can't permissionise the adjacent yard and side probing has proven the nearby pit we will simply dig across to it and go from the bottom up to wherever we feel is high enough without danger of collapse from the surface. Once we had a "tunnelmeister" goin' right beneath a man's feet who was busy pruning his roses. We cleaned out the 1860 and '70s glass and never got within 4' of the surface where he was working. He remained blissfully oblivious to our clandestine activities under his feet. Later, when he had passed away, another group of diggers hit the yard and poked out that pit. I told them that it was ABD, but they laughed at me. Sorry, but when they went through the 1890s and very thin, bottle free 1880s zone they hit their proof at 7'. Cleaned out! Guess who got the last laugh?

If there is any room at all under that building, Rockhounder, then you can try my method of using plywood to firm up soft soil and use a creeper like you are working under a vehicle. I put an old Radio Flyer wagon bed on a creeper and pulled the dirt out one load at a time until working space was available. Slow, but who's in a hurry to dig a pit anyway?

 

[RICKJJ59W]

ORIGINAL: lexdigger

Are you sure the map is showing the privy? From my experiences what you see on the sanborn is rarely the privy. Usually they are along the back or side property line. How old is the sanborn map? There is a chance that even if it is showing a pit, there could be others. I've dug anywhere from one to seven pits in the same yard. I would start out by probing the yard first and only dig the crawl as a last resort. Most people will let you make multiple visits if you honor your part of the deal. Start in the back corner and work your way across the back of the yard.

I never went by a sand born map for privy s in my life,they are never on the map. I just probe silly

 

[RICKJJ59W]

ORIGINAL: CALDIGR2

For us out here in sunny CA tunnel, or as Rick calls it "mine shaft" digging is relatively commonplace. Often time we can't permissionise the adjacent yard and side probing has proven the nearby pit we will simply dig across to it and go from the bottom up to wherever we feel is high enough without danger of collapse from the surface. Once we had a "tunnelmeister" goin' right beneath a man's feet who was busy pruning his roses. We cleaned out the 1860 and '70s glass and never got within 4' of the surface where he was working. He remained blissfully oblivious to our clandestine activities under his feet. Later, when he had passed away, another group of diggers hit the yard and poked out that pit. I told them that it was ABD, but they laughed at me. Sorry, but when they went through the 1890s and very thin, bottle free 1880s zone they hit their proof at 7'. Cleaned out! Guess who got the last laugh?

If there is any room at all under that building, Rockhounder, then you can try my method of using plywood to firm up soft soil and use a creeper like you are working under a vehicle. I put an old Radio Flyer wagon bed on a creeper and pulled the dirt out one load at a time until working space was available. Slow, but who's in a hurry to dig a pit anyway?

Yeah Cal who knows what the ownership guide lines are,do they own 4 feet down,6 feet,10?? I never knew where their property line ends,going "straight down" [8D]

 

[JOETHECROW]

We've dug under quite a few crawlspaces, but not yet a privy that way. []